No. 3, 2018, Land Stewardship Letter - Land Stewardship Project

• An online version of this Land Stewardship Letter is here.

• A pdf version of this Land Stewardship Letter is here.

• Archived Land Stewardship Letters are here.

• For paper copies of the Land Stewardship Letter, contact Brian DeVore via e-mail

Report from the Field…3
• The Community Thresher

Myth Buster…4
• The War on SNAP

LSP News…6
• Staff Changes
• New Board Members
• Journalists Get the Scoop on Soil Health
• 2018 Potluck Cookout
• Farm Beginnings Field Days

Policy & Organizing…8
• LSP Members Fight Factory Farms
• Healthcare Petition Calls for Bold Action
• Farm Bill in Holding Pattern
• Talking About Our Minnesota Future
• Leadership Assembly
• Land Stewardship Action Fund

Community Based Foods…13
• Surveying the Local Foods Landscape
• LSP’s Local Foods Listening Campaign
• CSA Farms: Time to Sign-up

Soil Health…16
• Sometimes Less is More
• Cropping Systems Calculator
• ‘Soil Health & Profits’ Winter Workshops
• Climate Conversation
• A Pocket Guide to the Power of Soil

Seeking Farmers-Seeking Land Clearinghouse…20

Farm Transitions…22
• The Beginning Farmer Next Door
• LSP Farm Transition Winter Workshops
• LSP Workshops on Rental Agreements

Farm Beginnings…25
• 2019-2020 Class
• Farm Beginnings in Other Regions
• Farm Dreams

Ecological Agrarians…26
• Book Showcases Wildly Successful Farming

Membership Update…30
• Rewards for Membership
• In Memory & in Honor
• Support LSP in Your Workplace
• LSP Board Statement on Gender Equity
• Get Current with LIVE-WIRE
• LSP’s Ear to the Ground Podcast
• Membership Questions?
• Volunteer for LSP

Stewardship Calendar…32

Upcoming Events

August 2025

Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7

Farmfest 2025

Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7

Farmfest 2025

28366 County Hwy 13, Morgan, MN 56266, USA

Details are here.

Tuesday August 5

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms

Tuesday August 5

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms

Owatonna Public Utilities, 208 Walnut Ave S, Owatonna, MN 55060, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
Hear from a panel of local speakers.
Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.

For more information, click here.

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Constitutional Observer Training

Tuesday August 5

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Constitutional Observer Training

LSP office, 111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

The Land Stewardship Project and CURE, in collaboration with the Immigrant Defense Network, are hosting a Constitutional Observer Training in Montevideo on Tuesday, August 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This training is intended to develop local community leaders’ knowledge and understanding of civil rights and to encourage engagement in civil initiatives that protect immigrant rights and due process. The training blends elements of “Know Your Rights” and “rapid response” in a practical, hands-on workshop experience.

This training is intended to empower local community members with the tools and resources needed to support the legal rights of our immigrant neighbors. Immigrant communities are essential to the strength, resilience, and prosperity of Minnesota. LSP and CURE envision a Minnesota where immigrant families live without fear, children dream freely, and communities stand united in their pursue for justice and their right to thrive.

For more information and to reserve a spot, click here.

This training is part of Defender Action Day, which is being organized by the Immigrant Defense Network Aug. 5 and 7 in various Minnesota communities: Montevideo, Mankato, Saint Paul, Stillwater, Rochester, and Winona.

This is an opportunity to learn about our defend + drive approach and how to observe, protect, and uphold the rights of immigrant communities. You’ll get a toolkit on Know Your Rights and a badge as a Constitutional Rights Observer.

Sign up at the host site’s links below and learn more at immigrantdefensenetwork.org. Questions: info@immigrantdefenesenetwork.org.

LOCATIONS & DATES
Mankato | David Mesta, COPAL
Thursday, August 7th, 6:00 p.m.
Shared Spaces
127 S 2nd St
Mankato, MN 56001
https://secure.everyaction.com/ZM7-k1KQYUe_8rMpzTv9iw2

Montevideo | Nick Olson, LSP
Tuesday, August 5th, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
111 North First Street
Montevideo, MN 56265

Rochester | David Perdomo, COPAL
Thursday, August 7th, 6:00 p.m.
COPAL Rochester
1210 ½ 7th St NW
Rochester, MN
https://secure.everyaction.com/h5dR_dK2EkK8zNekL7Fytg2

Stillwater | Jo Haberman, Indivisible-St. Croix Valley
Thursday, August 7th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Stillwater Public Library
https://www.mobilize.us/stcroixvalleyindivi…/event/814452/

Saint Paul | Kevin Huynh, MN8
Thursday, August 7th, 6:00 p.m.
Griggs-Midway Building
1821 University Ave W
Saint Paul, MN 55104

Winona | Kathy Florin
Thursday, August 7th, 6:00pm
Winona Arts Center
228 East 5th Street
Winona, MN, 55987

Wednesday August 6

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms

Wednesday August 6

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms

Ridges At Sand Creek, 21775 Ridges Dr, Jordan, MN 55352, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
Hear from a panel of local speakers.
Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.

For more information, click here.

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

Thursday August 7

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms

Thursday August 7

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms

Red Rock Center for the Arts, 222 E Blue Earth Ave, Fairmont, MN 56031, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
Hear from a panel of local speakers.
Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.

For more information, click here.

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

View Full Calendar

Table of Contents